Holiday Kisses

Instead, she couldn’t shake the growing unease inside of her.

Standing on Holly and Luke’s back porch, Calliope rubbed a hand against her chest and stared out at the solitary storm cloud hovering above the beach. Normally clouds like this would dissipate before now. The merging gray and silver bands didn’t carry rain or storms, but swirling emotions that had been buried beneath despair. Someone in Butterfly Harbor was in so much pain it had manifested itself for Calliope to see. And feel.

“Hey, this is a happy occasion.” Holly pressed a plastic champagne glass filled with sparkling cider into Calliope’s hands before giving her a one-armed hug. “What’s with the frown?”

Calliope shook her head and faced the radiant mother-to-be. The difference in Holly since their conversation in the kitchen at the diner was astonishing. “Nothing to do with you and Luke, I promise.” She glanced around Holly to where Luke stood beaming among his friends, his stepson Simon joyfully slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “I take it Luke was pleased with the news?”

“You knew.” Holly inclined her head and looked at her with a bit of wonder. “You could have just told me I was having twins.”

“It wasn’t my secret to tell.” Calliope tried to ignore the pang of envy sliding through her. She’d always believed Stella was the child she was meant to raise, and while she loved her little sister with every fiber of her being, in recent days, a longing she didn’t know she possessed had reared up and demanded attention. “How do you like Dr. Miakoda?”

“She’s amazing.” Holly tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear before laying a hand on her rounded stomach. “You were right. All those fears and worries I’ve been having, she listened. I think that was all I needed. As soon as I voiced them, I realized how silly I was being.”

“You were being cautious,” Calliope corrected. “Which is what a mother does where her children are concerned. I’m glad you’re doing better.”

“Better than better. Luke and I talked about it and after the babies are born, we’d like you and Paige to be the godmothers. Abby’s already got Simon, so, you know.” Holly shrugged. “You and Paige can fight over which baby you want. If you want—”

“Holly.” Calliope took her friend’s hand and squeezed as her heart swelled with gratitude. “Thank you. I would love to be one of your children’s godmothers.”

“Now that that’s settled, you want to share what’s bothering you? I don’t know if you realize,” Holly added with one of her cheeky grins. “But seeing Calliope Jones out of sorts isn’t exactly commonplace.”

“I don’t know exactly,” Calliope admitted as her attention was pulled back to the cloud. “But I can’t shake the feeling I need to find out.” She glanced over to where Stella and Charlie, along with Marlie O’Neill, Willa’s younger sister, sat braiding each other’s hair and threading in some of Calliope’s trademark tinkle bells.

“Gonna be a great next generation, huh?” Holly said. “Has Stella asked you about the sandcastle competition yet?”

“Asked me what?” With all that had been going on, she’d completely forgotten about the holiday event.

“They still need an adult for their team. Last I heard you were next on their list.

“I’ll talk to Stella this evening. So the private school is working out okay for Simon?” Calliope asked.

“Yeah. Better than we could have hoped. They’re not only able to keep up with him, but they challenge him too. They create specialized programs for their students and it’s exactly what he needed. He’s definitely never bored in school anymore.”

Calliope tried not to chuckle but failed miserably. A bored Simon Saxon was a force to be reckoned with for any and all who lived in Butterfly Harbor. Well before he’d turned ten, he’d been hacking into Wi-Fi systems of kids’ homes who had been bullying him. A creative, albeit felonious, solution to his problems.

“I have to admit,” Holly continued, “I didn’t think I’d ever see the day my son and Kyle Winters became such good friends. Especially given how Kyle used to be. Matt and Lori have done wonders with him.”